We Used to Be Friends
by twinkle in my eye
Summary: I love Bones high school stories so here's another one. Read and Review! There will be no more added to this story, but look for my other future stories.
1. First Day

_Hot blooded, check it and see. I got a fever of a hundred and three-_

Seeley Booth rolled out of his bed and slammed his hand on the alarm, stopping his favorite song. Groaning he realized that it was time yet again to officially start the school year. Senior year - definitely something to look forward to. Throwing on one of his classic graphic tees and the jeans that fit in all the right places, he grabbed his backpack and headed into the kitchen.

"Good morning son. Breakfast is on the counter. Have a good first day of school." his mother called out to him from the living room. She spend every morning this way - waking up with the sun and watching it rise as she sipped her tea.

"Thanks Mom," Seeley called out to her as he grabbed the apple fritter and his keys. "Jared, I'm leaving in two. IF you wan at ride be out there." he yelled down the hall. Jared sauntered out of his room at that moment and poured a glass of orange juice before replying "I'm ready. Lets go." Together the brothers hopped into Seeley's car and drove to Thomas Jefferson High.

Meanwhile……

Temperance Brennan waited anxiously for the bell to ring. She had come to school early in order to get a first hand look at Thomas Jefferson High. She had memorized the map of school weeks ago, but it didn't hurt to show up early and familiarize herself, right? Surely all freshmen did the same thing. She was jolted out of her thoughts by a girl's voice.

"Hi. I'm Angela Montenegro. And you are…?"

"Temperance Brennan."

"Temperance, that's a cool name."

'_Why is she talking to me? No one talks to me at school.'_ Temperance thought to herself.

"Let's compare schedules. Maybe we'll have some classes together." Angela squealed with glee.

After comparing schedules they saw that they had three classes together - Biology second period, English right before lunch, and World History at the end of the day. All around them students were chatting, flirting, and laughing; then the bell rang. During the scramble Angela called out 'See you next period!"

Temperance smiled and waved as Angela headed down the hall, bouncing as she went. Turing, she moved to enter her first period Calculus class and ran smack dab into Seeley Booth.

"Umph."

"Sorry bout that. Are you okay?" Seeley asked, his brown eyes quickly assessing her.

"I'm fine." She replied tersely.

Seeley steeped back, surprised at her defensive tone. She twirled away from him and entered the classroom. He followed suit. Temperance was surprised to see him follow her, but kept her face clear of emotion. Taking a seat in the front, she visibly relaxed as she pulled out her Calc book and a fresh notebook and pencils. Seeley, on the other hand, slid into a seat in the back next to his long time friend, Hank. Poking Hank, he asked, "Hey, do you know who that new girl in the front is?"

Smiling Hank said, "That's Temperance Brennan. She's like a genius. She's a freshman in Calculus!"

"Huh. Temperance…. Interesting."

"I know that look," Hank smiled at Seeley, "that's your found a new girl look."

Hank's words were lost on Seeley. He was off in his own world. '_Temperance. I wonder if she like football…'_ Seeley spent the rest of the period thinking about Temperance Brennan. As the bell rang, he stood up to approach her, but after picking up his bag he turned - and she was gone.


	2. Making Contact

Temperance strode quickly out of her Calculus class and moved down the hallway towards her second period Biology. Once again she sat in the front, her eyes scanning the room for Angela. Locating her in the back corner with a group of girls, she smiled and waved. Soon the teacher, Mrs. Smith, spoke up.

"Welcome to freshmen Biology. I'm passing out a copy of the syllabus. Take one and read along."

Soon the bell rang again. Her third and fourth periods were pretty much the same. On her way out of fourth period English, she was stopped by Angela.

"Hey Bren! It's lunchtime and you are totally sitting with us!" Angela half dragged Temperance into the cafeteria and over to a table where two boys were already sitting.

"This is Jack Hodgins." Angela pointed to the boy with curly hair, "and this is Zach Addy." Angela smiled and pulled out her lunch. Temperance sat down and listened to the three converse. About five minutes later she felt a pair of eyes watching her. She looked up and saw the boy who she ran into this morning. Well actually, the boy that ran into her. Angela followed her stare. "You have good taste sweetie. That's Thomas Jefferson High's most eligible bachelor, Seeley Booth."

"What?! No! I wasn't looking at him like that! He just ran into me this morning!" Temperance insisted.

"Whatever you say sweetie. But he's the whole package – smart, hot, athletic, kind. You should go for it! You two would look good together."

"Slow down Angela. I don't even know him. And my focus is school, not boys." Temperance chided Angela.

Angela's words rang in Temperance's head all day. On her way out of her last class, World History, she ran into a firm, muscled, and somewhat familiar body.

'_Oh crap. Please let it not be him. Please let it not be him.'_ Temperance slowly opened her eyes to see his warm brown eyes staring back at her.

"We can't keep running into each other like this. People are going to think you're purposely trying to tackle me." Seeley gave her his patented charm smile.

"Or they'll put out a warning that some hot guy is tackling girls in the hallway," she retorted.

'_Oh crap. Did I just call him hot? Hopefully he didn't notice.'_

"So you think I'm hot?"

'_So he did hear me. Damn.'  
_

"I'm Seeley Booth by the way. How come I've never seen you before? I know pretty much everyone at this school."

"Well since I'm a freshmen, how could you know me when it's only the first day?"

'_She's feisty and she's not afraid to argue with me. And she's beautiful. Score!'_ Seeley thought to himself.

"It was … nice… meeting you Seeley. I've got to get home. Bye." Temperance spoke up, interrupting his train of thought.

"Wait! Let me at least give you a ride home," He pleaded with her.

"Thanks but no thanks. I prefer to walk." And with that Temperance strode out of Thomas Jefferson High without so much as a look back. Seeley Booth was frozen in his tracks. No girl had ever said no to spending time with him. Well then, he'd just have to try harder.

The next two weeks followed the same pattern. Seeley smiled at her in Calculus and at lunch and then "ran into her" as she left World History. Each time he'd find something to talk to her about and offer her a ride home. Each time she said no.

Then one day she yes. As they drove away from school, Seeley stole glances at her.

"You should keep your eyes on the road. It's safer that way. If you have to keep staring, I could drive.' Brennan spoke up.

Seeley chuckled and looked at her again, this time catching her eye. The rest of the ride was filled with companionable silence. When they reached her house, Seeley jumped out to open her door, but she was quicker.

"I can open my own door, thank you very much."

'_I wouldn't expect anything less from her.'_ Seeley smiled as he thought to himself. When the reached the front door, Seeley paused.

"Hey Temperance. The back to school formal is on Friday and I was hoping you'd go with me." Seeley gave her his best smile.

Temperance almost immediately found herself saying no, but looking into his eyes changed her mind.

"I suppose it would be a good time to observe our classmates in a relaxed setting."

"Is that a yes?"

"Yes Seeley, I'll go with you. Can you understand that?"

"I'll pick you up at seven on Friday."

Seeley turned back to his car and walked down the steps. _'That was simpler than I thought it would be.'_ Seeley said to himself as he drove into his house.

Temperance was still standing on her front porch. What had she just gotten herself into?


	3. An Outing

Temperance entered her house made a beeline for her room and dialed her best friend's number.

"Hey Angela. I have a problem."

"Spill."

"I don't know what that-"

"What's the problem, sweetie?"

"Well Seeley just gave me a ride home and he asked me to go to the back to school formal with him."

There was a squeal on the other end of the phone. "That's great! I knew there were sparks between you two. But why is that a problem?"

"First Angela, it's just a dance. We're not a couple. Second, today is Wednesday the dance is on Friday and I have nothing to wear."

"I'll be at your house in ten and we'll go dress shopping! I still haven't found the perfect dress yet."

"Ok. I'll see you then."

Temperance scribbled a note to her foster family and sat out on the porch waiting for Angela. True to her word, Angela arrived ten minutes later with Jack and Zach in tow.

"Hop in!" Angela called out to her. Temperance joined the three and Jack took off for the mall.

When they reached the mall, they split up. The girls headed off to find dresses while the boys took off to do who knows what. After trying on what seemed like a hundred dresses each, both girls finally found the perfect one. Angela's dress was a deep purple with a v-neck and Temperance's dress was a dark navy blue with a scoop neck.

Two hours later Temperance arrived back at her house. No sooner has she settled in, the phone began tot ring. As she picked it up, she heard the unmistakable voice of Seeley Booth.

"Hello. May I please speak to Temperance?" The deep timber of his boice and way he said her name sent shivers down her spine - not that she was planning to tell him that.

"This is she."

"Hi Temperance. I was calling to ask you if you gotten your dress yet."

"I actually just got home from shopping."

"Oh good. So what color is the dress? I wanted to match my tie with it."

"It's a really dark navy blue."

"Ok that works. I have a tie that exact color."

"I need to my calculus homework. I'll see you tomorrow Seeley."

"I'm looking forward to this dance Temperance." How did he manage to make her name sound so wonderful?

"I'm looking forward to it too. Bye Seeley."

"Bye Temperance." She was going to have to think of something else for him to call her because every time he said her name she felt weak in the knees.

After finishing her work, Temperance slid into bed, recalling all the conversations she had with Seeley that day. She fell asleep with a smile on her face.

**AN: So what did you think??? The dance is coming up next!! Please review it makes me smile. And I've been told I have a great smile…. So REVIEW!!! Thank you!**


	4. Dance Dance

Seeley Booth looked at his reflection in the mirror. He knew he looked good and he knew Temperance thought he was hot, so why was he so nervous? This was his senior year, he'd been to plenty of dance before. What made this one so different?

Temperance.

Something about her just threw him off his game, and he had to admit he liked that feeling. She kept him o his toes. His charm smile seemed to have no effect on her. She was always proving him wrong with her logical views on life.

Seeley looked up at the clock. It was already 6:45. He grabbed his suit jacket and keys and rushed to his char. At exactly seven Seeley knocked on her door. A woman, her mom he guessed, appeared and told him Temperance would be ready in a minute. As he waited in the foyer, he looked around. There were baby pictures on the wall, but none of the babies had Temperance's electric blue eyes.

As he began to wonder why, his attention was diverted by the gorgeous figure descending down the stairs. She was breathtakingly beautiful; she literally took his breath away. She reached the bottom of the stairs and after a minute he spoke.

"You look beautiful."

She blushed and smiled up at him, "Thank you."

"Well we better get going." With that he placed his hand on the small of her back and led her out the house and into his car. To his surprise she did not protest.

The drive was silent, but it was a comfortable silence. Each were enjoying the other's presence. Before they knew it, they had arrived at the school. Seeley opened her door and this time she had something to say about that.

"I'm perfectly capable of opening my own door Seeley."

"Just humor me Temperance."

She sighed and reluctantly took the hand he offered to help her out of the car. Together they entered the gym. Temperance's eyes widened and she let out a small gasp.

"I forgot, this must be your first formal. I know its not much but…" Seeley broke off.

"No, its just perfect."

As they stood near the gym's entrance, Hank and his date approached.

"Hey Seel," Hank said, then turned, "you must be Temperance. I'm in Calc with you and Seeley." Temperance nodded in acknowledgement. "This is my date Cam."

Temperance looked over at the older girl and smiled. "It's very nice to meet you." Camille tipped her head in recognition, but kept her eyes focused on Seeley. He, however, was looking everywhere but at her.

She reached for his arm and smiled up at him through her eyelashes. "Hey Seeley," she said.

"Hello Camille." he responded and wrenched his arm away to place it around Temperance's waist.

"I'm sure Angela will be looking for you Temperance, we should go find her." Seeley excused the two of them and then directed her far far away.

"What was that all about?" Temperance questioned him.

"That was my ex-girlfriend. We broke it off early this summer and I guess she thought we'd be getting back together this year." Seeley nervously replied.

"Oh."

_Oh? That's all she had to say? Most girls would ask him a thousand questions about his ex-girlfriend, and he wasn't even dating them. But then again Temperance Brennan wasn't most girls. _He smiled at this and turned towards her. She was lost in her thoughts as well, though a tiny smile played across her lips. A slow song came on and Seeley spoke up, "Temperance, may I have this dance?"

"I would like that."

Seeley led her out to the floor. As they danced their bodies seemed to meld as one. Cam looked on and went to intrude, but Hank caught her arm and swept her away from the happy couple.

What seemed like fifty songs later Seeley took Temperance's hand again, but this time he led her out the door and to his waiting car.

"Where are we going Seeley?"

"I was getting kinda tired of dancing, and I am hungry."

"Alright. Where are we going to eat?"

"It's a surprise."

They drove for about fifteen minutes then Seeley pilled into the parking lot of the Royal Diner. Exiting the car, Seeley came to Temperance's door and opened it of her, once again extending his hand. Although she glared at him, she still took the offered hand. His hand on the small of her back, Seeley walked Temperance into the small diner. While he ordered a classic cheeseburger and fries, she only got a vanilla milkshake. They sat and talked about life, school, their ambitions, anything that came to mind really, for about an hour.

Five mintues later, they drove up to her house. As they made their way up the steps, Seeley stopped and turned to face Temperance.

"I had a really nice time tonight, Temperance. I know that we've only been on one 'date', but the last two weeks I've spent talking with you have been great, more than great actually. I'm guessing you're wondering why I'm telling you this. There's something I wanted to ask you…" Seeley shifted around, uncomfortable all of a sudden.

"You were saying?"

"I wanted to ask you to be my girlfriend." Seeley sighed, finally done with his speech.

For a minute there was silence. Then once again Seeley spoke.

"Well, um… I think I'm gonna go… I'll see you later I guess."

Finally Temperance spoke up.

"Seeley wait! The answer to your question is yes."

"Really?"

"Why would I say yes if I didn't mean it?"

This caused a grin to appear on Seeley's face.

"Then as my first act as your boyfriend, I'm going to do this…" With that, Seeley lowered his lips to hers. It was short kiss, his lips pressing down on hers and then it was over. Seeley smiled to himself as he looked up at his beautiful girlfriend, eyes still half-lidded. Temperance Brennan - his girlfriend; he could get used to saying that. Impulsively he pulled her into a hug and kissed her again, this time on her forehead.

Stepping away he said, "Goodnight Temperance. I'll call you tomorrow ok?"

Still dazed Temperance just nodded. Seeley smiled and made his way down the steps to his car. Temperance waved to him as he drove off. She didn't know what she had expected her first kiss to be like, but she could have never imagined that. It was gentle yet commanding, soft and yet also rough. And though it only lasted maybe five steamboats, it felt much longer than that. Sighing contentedly, she turned and headed to bed, smiling once again because of Seeley Booth.

**AN:** **So this is the longest chapter I've written. The next chapter brings their first "real" date. Also for lent this year I'm giving up the internet for recreational use. So starting Feb. 25****th**** I can only update on Sundays. I'll try and get as much done as I can before then. Oh and PLEASE REVIEW!!**

***twinkle***


	5. First Date

**AN: Sorry about the long wait. School has been crazy. I'll try to get the next chapter out by Sunday at the latest. Thanks for all who read and who reviewed.**

***twinkle***

Temperance awoke, full of energy. Glancing at the clock, she saw it was only 6:00. There was no way Seeley would call that early. Instead of sitting around waiting for his call, Temperance changed and went out for a run. She ran hard and fast, trying to process the precious night's events. He had asked her to be his girlfriend, and she had said yes. Why _had_ she said yes? She'd never been in a relationship besides when she gotten "married" to Joey Parker in kindergarten, and something told her that didn't count.

Something about Seeley comforted her, soothed her even. His presence, strong and sure, was always welcome, even when they were arguing.

Temperance's feet carried her to a nearby park. As she turned a corner, she collided with a body. Looking up she exclaimed, "Really, Seeley?!"

"Hey! This time wasn't on purpose. I always come here for an early morning run."

"Is that so?"

"It is. So what brings you to my park?"

"Your park?? And I woke up early and decided to go for a run."

"Well, good morning Temperance. I would give you a hug, but I'm kinda sweaty. And since you're here, I was thinking we should go to ocean for our real 'first date'."

"Sounds good. I'll see you at my house around four." She reached up and placed a quick peck on his cheek before running off back in the direction she came from. Seeley smiled and finished up his usual routine before heading back home.

Thirty minutes later Seeley emerged from the shower, his biceps glistening. A glance at the clock told him it was only 9:30. Six and a half hours until he would see Temperance again. Still clad in nothing but a towel around his waist, Seeley rummaged through his closet for the perfect outfit. He settled on a black v-neck sweater and his dark wash jeans. Throwing on his swim trunks and another graphic tee he pulled out his phone and called Temperance.

"Hello?"

"He, it's me."

"Me could be any number of people, just because I know it's you doesn't mean you -"

"Alright, I get it Temperance. I was calling to tell you that I'm taking you to dinner after we go to the ocean, so bring something nice to change into."

"Where are we going?"

"If I tell you it won't be a surprise."

"I don't really like surprises."

"You'll like this one, trust me."

"If you say so."

"I've gotta get some things done before I come to get you. I'll see you soon ok?

"Sounds great. Bye Seeley."

Temperance clicked off her phone and turned to her closet. After a fifteen minute deliberation she choose a dark blue halter dress then packed up a bag with her things to go to the beach. After putting on her teal bikini, Temperance decided to take a quick nap.

Something was rubbing circles on her back, softly calling her name. Feeling warm and secure, she sighed contentedly and snuggled further under the covers. The rubbing stopped and instead she felt someone place a kiss on her temple. She immediately woke up to the face of her boyfriend.

"Seeley! How did you get into my room?"

"Your mom let me in."

"My mom?…… oh."

Seeley was confused for a moment then reminded her of their plans. She rose out of bed, threw on a shirt and her denim mini skirt, and grabbed her bag. She waved goodbye to her foster mom and walked through the door that Seeley was holding open. She reached the car before him this time and opened her own door. And then they were off to the ocean. They spent three hours at the beach: swimming, tanning, or in his case surfing, and having a lot of fun. Around seven, Seeley told her it was time for dinner and they both went to change. Emerging from the bathroom at the same time, each was astounded by the other's beauty.

'_She looks even better with her skin sun-kissed form the beach than she did at the dance.'_ Seeley thought to himself.

'_I've never seen a guy wear a sweater better than my boyfriend. I can't believe it. Seeley Booth is my boyfriend."_ Temperance smiled and looked up at Seeley.

Taking her hand, Seeley led her to a lighthouse. As they climbed the stairs, she began to tell him the history of the lighthouse. Seeley abruptly stopped and turned to face her. Grabbing her gently, he pulled her to him and kissed her hard and deep. She was frozen for a second then kissed back. Their tongues began to explore each other's mouths, then he pulled away. He rested his forehead on hers.

"We've got dinner waiting."

The rest of the walk up the lighthouse was silent. Seeley had been successful in stopping the history lesson. Anytime he wanted to stop her from talking, all he would have to do was kiss her. He pocketed that thought and stopped once again for they had reached the top.

"Close your eyes and follow me." he said.

"I would have to if I wanted to get-"

"Hush, now open you eyes."

There was a small table set for two with candles and daffodils.

"How did you know I liked daffodils?"

"You mentioned it at the diner after the dance."

She smiled and let Seeley pull out her chair. For the next two hours the couple enjoyed a candlelight dinner. As they ate the two took turns interrogating each other. Wrapping up the dinner, Temperance asked "So what attracted you to me?"

Seeley paused for a moment to collect his thoughts. "Well besides the fact that you're stunningly beautiful and incredibly intelligent, I was attracted to you because of your personality. You're stubborn and fiery and refuse to let anything get in your way. What attracted you to me?"

If 'm not including your symmetrical features and your well structured physique, they I would have to say your persistence, your manners, and…."

"Yes, continue."

"Do I really have to say? I already said two things."

"Yep! You're required to."

"Fine. yoursmile."

"What was that?"

"yoursmile."

"You like my smile? I'm touched." Seeley brought out his full smile.

Temperance rolled her eyes, but she couldn't help but smile when she looked at Seeley's face. The two gathered up everything from the meal and headed back to Seeley's car. A little while later, they pulled up to her house. Seeley turned off and exited the car. As Temperance got out, she looked at him quizzically.

"Can't a guy walk his girlfriend to her door?"

"It's really not necessary."

"It's not about necessity. I'm going to walk you in because I want to."

Temperance sighed, "If you insist-"

"I do."

By this time they had reached the front porch. "Oh look it's the front door. Today was fun, I really enjoyed it. But next time _I_ get to pick what we do."

"That's fine with me. Tomorrow my family is going to visit my Grandma, so I'll see you at school on Monday."

"Alright. I'll see you then."

Before he could turn and go back down the steps, she grabbed his sweater and kissed him passionately. Seeley, of course, responded with enthusiasm and soon she was pressed against the door. Their tongues met in an elegant dance that lasted until their need for air overcame their passion. Pulling away breathless, Seeley looked at her with amusement in his eyes.

"What? I'm not going to see you tomorrow, so I was just preparing."

"How cute." Pulling her into a hug he smiled and said one last goodbye. As he drove off he smiled to himself, already wishing it was Monday morning. He hoped Sunday would fly by fast.


	6. Alpha Male

**AN: As promised here is the next chapter. EVERYONE GO WATCH THE PROMO FOR NEXT WEEK AGAIN AND AGAIN!!! SO CAN'T WAIT FOR THAT EPISODE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**

***twinkle***

Temperance spent Sunday catching up on her schoolwork and then getting ahead. She was surprised at how much work she was able to get done despite the fact that Seeley was constantly on her mind. After finishing her work, she called Angela.

"Hello?"

"Hey Angela. It's me, Brennan."

"Hey Sweetie! So how was the dance? We never really got to talk."

"The dance was… amazing. We danced for quite a while, then we went to eat. Well, he ate and I had a milkshake. We've only been on two dates, but I've noticed that he eats a lot!"

"Two dates? When did this happen? Details!"

"Well after we went to the diner and talked for about an hour he drove me home and then he asked me to be his girlfriend."

"He WHAT??"

"He asked me to be his girlfriend."

"Please, please tell me you said yes."

"I did. And then he kissed me. He is the most amazing kisser I've ever known. And he has an extremely appealing body. His chest muscles are very well sculpted."

"Why was his shirt off? You guys got that far in two days? Wow! I know he's hot but I never expected-"

"ANGELA! Of course we didn't get that far. All we've done is kiss. When I went for a run, I literally ran into him and he doesn't wear a shirt when he runs."

"Where did you say you ran into him at? Maybe I should go running more often."

"Angela."

"I'm only kidding. So, what happened on this second date?"

"Well, he woke me up with a kiss on my forehead-"

"Aww, how sweet."

"Then he took me to the ocean and we had fun there for a couple hours. Then he brought me to a lighthouse where he had a candlelight dinner and my favorite flowers waiting."

"I always thought he was the romantic type."

"He definitely is… and I'll admit, I like it."

"There's nothing wrong with enjoying a little romance, sweetie."

"You're right. Hey Ange, it's getting kinda late. I should get some sleep."

"Alright sweetie, thanks for sharing the juicy details with me."

"Night Ange."

"See you tomorrow."

Temperance prepared for bed. Her weekend had been extremely busy. She loved spending time with Seeley, but she was worn out. Just as she slipped underneath the covers, her phone rang. Sighing, she reached for it and hit "talk," not bothering to check Caller ID.

"Hello?" she said gruffly.

"Hey. Someone sounds a bit grumpy."

"I was just about to got to sleep Seeley, but what did you want to tell me?"

"Sorry about that. I wanted to know if you needed a ride to school tomorrow."

"And that was the _only_ reason you called?"

"Well, I didn't get to talk to you today." he admitted sheepishly.

"I thought you had and ulterior motive. Yes, I would appreciate a ride to school. And I did miss you. As much as I like talking to you, I'm almost falling asleep. I'll see you in the morning. Okay?"

"Goodnight Temperance."

She clicked off the phone and fell into a deep sleep. The next morning Seeley arrived right on time. Greeting her with a kiss, he opened her door and they were off. School was no different for the two, except that Seeley would walk her to almost every class. Although Seeley wanted to eat lunch with her, she insisted they each have some time apart, each with their own friends. Seeley took her home, kissed her and promised to call later; and he always did. They followed this pattern for the next few weeks. That Thursday as he was getting out to escort her to the door, he stopped her.

"The big football game against St. Lawrence is tomorrow. I was hoping you'd come and cheer me on."

"I've always viewed football as a chance for boys to try and prove their alpha male status, when in reality there is only one alpha male. From what I have observed, you seem to be the alpha male. Anthropologically, I, as your girlfriend, am supposed to go so you can show me off. I don't believe in this type of ritual, but since it seems to mean so much to you, I suppose I could go. I guess I could get Angela to come with me."

"Thanks, Temperance. It does mean a lot to me that you're coming. I'm sure Angela will have not problems going to the game with you."

"I've got a lot of studying to do so I'll see you tomorrow."

She nodded and he leaned in to kiss her. After a few moments, she broke the kiss and pushed him away. Smiling she said, "I've got to study remember?"

"Alright, alright. See you in the morning."

Temperance turned and entered the house. She spent the next six hours studying; she had a feeling she wouldn't get any time to study tomorrow. The next day went by fast. Angela had readily accepted Brennan's invitation to accompany her to the game. The two headed over to the stands after school. Angela insisted they sit smack dab in the middle.

As Seeley jogged onto the field, he scanned the stands for Temperance. Locating her and Angela, he broke out his full charm smile and waved. Temperance smiled as their eyes locked. The moment was interrupted as Hank jostled Seeley. "Hey Seel, you all set?"

"Yeah, lets get ready to play!"

The game was a rather interesting one in Brennan's point of view. St. Lawrence was definitely a good team. Seeley had scored the first goal. Wait, Angela said they were called touchdowns. St. Lawrence got a touchdown ten minutes later and from then on the game was tied. In the last two minutes, Seeley passed the ball to Hank who scored the winning touchdown. She found it interesting that Seeley had passed the ball when he could have easily scored himself. This was not typical alpha male behavior.

After congratulating and kissing her hot albeit sweaty boyfriend, Brennan headed off to parking lot to wait for him. Seven minutes later he arrived and they drove over to the diner where Seeley ate almost more than was humanly possible while replaying the game all over again. Temperance smiled and nodded in all the right places, just happy to see him so excited.

As the evening came to a close and Seeley walked Temperance to her door yet again, she spoke up. "Tomorrow is Saturday and I have decided what we should do. But, I'm keeping it a surprise."

"I'm sure you came up with something great. What time should I come over?"

"I'd say around eleven."

"Ok. I'll see you then."

Kissing her once again, Seeley gave her his signature smile, watched her roll her eyes, and waved as he began the drive home.


	7. Sharing Secrets

**AN: Sorry it took so long to get this to you guys. It's a little different than the previous chapters, but I hope you like it.**

***twinkle***

* * *

Temperance paced the length of her room for several minutes. Glancing at the clock she saw it was only ten forty three. Seeley would be coming in seventeen minutes to pick her up for their date. The date she had planned. The date she was having second thoughts about. What if he didn't like her idea? What if he couldn't handle the revelations she had to share with him? As more and more questions flitted across her mind she took several deep breaths and began to meditate. What seemed like second later her peace of mind was interrupted by a knock on the font door.

Grabbing a jacket, her keys, two pairs of binoculars, and a picnic basket, she opened the door to a waiting Seeley. Stretching up, she greeted him with a kiss.

"So where are we headed today?"

"Well, when I was little I always wanted to go horseback riding and I never got he chance to go. So I wanted to go with you."

'_Horseback riding?? Could she have picked anything more girly? But I did tell her she could decide. Horseback riding it is.'_

"Just tell me where to go."

'_I can't believe he agreed. He doesn't seem like the type of guy who wants to ride a horse.'_

They spent the next hour driving to the horse ranch. They got saddled up (Seeley had a bit of difficulty with that.) and Temperance somehow stored the picnic basked on her saddle. And they were off. For once, Seeley let her lead.

"Are you sure you've never rode a horse before?"

"Yes Seeley, I'm sure. Though I did read up some on the anatomy of horses and how to properly ride a horse."

As Seeley's horse began to flail around he responded, "I don't think I can last much longer."

"That's ok, we're here."

Sighing with happiness, Seeley jumped off his horse and followed the instructions the ranch hands have given him on how to deal with the horse. He looked up to see a meadow of daffodils and what looked like a lake a little farther off. Temperance had already grabbed the picnic basket and was wading through the daffodils to the shore. Running to catch up, Seeley took the picnic basket from her and the two silently walked on. When they reached a nice dry spot Temperance turned to Seeley and opened the basket, taking out a blanket and spreading on the ground. She sat and patted the spot next to her. Seeley sat down and let her take out their lunch. To his surprise, she pulled out takeout containers from the dine where they had eaten after formal. She had gotten two order of fries, a burger, and a Caesar salad. Seeley smiled at the selection.

"I wasn't sure what you liked, but I knew you liked food from the diner so…" She trailed off, all of a sudden shy.

"This is perfect, I couldn't have picked it better myself." Seeley replied.

For the next twenty minutes, the two ate and chatted amicably. Then they went to check on the horses. After they had cleaned up everything, Temperance spoke up.

"There's something really important about me that I haven't told anyone. But I know that I can trust you. So here it is. Last Christmas Eve, my mom and my dad told me they were going off to store, but they never came back. It was just me and my older brother left. A few days later he took off as well. Maybe a week later, Social Services showed up and I officially became a ward of the sate. In about a year, I've gone through three foster families; this one is my fourth. Usually everything's going fine, I stay unnoticed at school and at their houses, but some kind of problem always arises and then I'm off to another family. I wanted to share that part of me with you because you mean so much to me." She finished, wiping away tears.

Seeley moved closer and placed her in his lap, bury his face in her hair and speaking directly into her ear. "Thank you so much for sharing such an important part of you with me. I'm honored that you trust me enough to share that."

"I wish I could have a perfect family like yours." Temperance sighed.

"My family… uh. They're not as perfect as they seem. My dad… he drinks. Almost every night after he comes home from the barber shop, he goes to this bar and drinks and drinks and drinks until he's completely drunk. Then he comes back home and if he's in a bad mood he'll barge into either my room, my brother's room or his room. Either way I end up getting a beating, but I take it because I can't bear to let Jared or my mom get hurt. I don't think I could live with myself if I did. It's gotten to the point where I sit in the kitchen just waiting for him to come home so no none else gets hurt. It's a lot to deal with… it's just a lot. And what kills me is everyday my mom and Jared and my dad act like nothing happened then night before. This past month my dad went to go visit his mom because she's dying. The rest of us went to visit, remember?" She nodded in reply. "So I've been free from that for a while, but soon he'll be back and it will all start over again. My family's not that perfect after all, huh?" He laughed, a sharp cynical laugh to cover his tears.

"Have you ever told anyone?" she asked.

"You're the first. Everyone knows me as this perfect guy with the perfect life. They can never understand."

The two sat there comforting each other and reveling in the peace and tranquility of the water for several hours. Seeley looked down to Brennan asleep in his arms. Kissing her hair, he whispered, "I'm think I'm falling in love with you."

Somehow he gathered up the blanket, the basket, and prepped the horses. Although he hated to wake her, he knew they should be getting back soon. Gently kissing her, Seeley stood her up. As soon as he released his mouth's hold on her lips she began to wake up.

Smiling at her he said, "Do you think you can make it back?" Nodding, she got on her horse and they headed back to the ranch. Soon they were on the road. After ten minutes, Temperance fell asleep. Seeley couldn't blame her, he was as emotionally spent as she was. As they approached her house, he shook her awake. When they pulled up, he grabbed the picnic basket and some binoculars. _'What were those for?'_ he wondered.

Opening her door he ushered her to the steps and handed her the items. Clasping her face with his hands he spoke. "Don't think that I think any less of you because you're a foster child, alright? As you know, I've got my own demons. Now go inside and rest. You've exhausted yourself. Call me if you need me, don't hesitate."

She nodded and he pulled her in for a passionate kiss. "Now go get some rest." She locked eyes with him, saying everything he needed to hear in that one look, before turning and entering the house.


	8. Remember Me

**AN: To all my readers, thank you so much for reading! I also want to sincerely apologize for waiting so long to update this story. This is one of my longest chapters… so do I get bonus points?? I'm working on the last chapter and should have it up before the end of this week. Thanks for your patience.**

***twinkle***

As Seeley pulled into the driveway late that night, he saw his father's car. He rushed into the house hoping no one had gotten hurt. The kitchen door banged shut behind him, causing the man at the table to wake with a start. "I've been waiting for you to finally show up." There was alcohol on his breath and an empty bottle of scotch lay on the table. "Been waiting for you…."

************************************************

The next day Seeley was not his usual self. His eyes didn't twinkle like Temperance was used to. The smile that she loved didn't seem to reach his eyes. As he walked her to the door, as was his custom, Temperance turned to him and hugged him hard. He tensed up and there was a sharp intake of breath.

"Is there something wrong?"

"No, I just pulled a muscle in my back is all."

"Oh let me see, maybe I can help." She lifted his shirt to find several large black and blue bruises.

"He came back last night." It was more of a statement than a question. He nodded and she released his shirt.

"I want to say the right thing to make you feel better, but I don't know what it is." she told him.

"You just said it. It helps to know someone cares."

"Do you have to go back home?"

"If I had somewhere to go, I'd go. He told me last night that he wouldn't hurt my mom or Jared. He said he would save it all for me."

"You can stay with me. My foster mom won't mind."

"Are you sure?" she nodded.

He added, "Just for tonight."

"Do you need to go back and get clothes or anything?"

"Yeah, I should probably go soon before he comes back. I'll be back in fifteen minutes."

She placed a soft kiss on his lips before he headed to his car. He returned in fifteen minutes like he promised with a duffel bag in tow. The two pulled out their homework and got to studying.

"Seeley." Temperance spoke without looking up from her biology book.

"Yes?"

"I can't work with you staring at me. It's really distracting."

"I can be even more distracting." He waggled his eyebrows at her.

She couldn't help but smile. "I'm sure you can, and we'll have plenty of time to be _distracting_ later. Right now we have to get our work done. Don't even think about the puppy dog eyes or I'll go to my room and work."

That silenced him quick. They finished working three hours later and then had dinner. After dinner the two headed upstairs. "The bathroom is the second door on the left. You can go first." He gave her a smile of thanks and made his way into the bathroom. After they had both showered and changed they got ready for bed.

"Do you have a sleeping bag I can use?"

"You're NOT sleeping on the floor, not with all those bruises on your back."

"It's fine, really Temperance."

"No it's not. We're sharing the bed. And that's final." Reluctantly he agreed. They slipped under the covers and she snuggled into his embrace.

"Thanks for letting me stay over."

"Don't worry about it Seeley." She yawned and snuggled further into his chest. He smiled and kissed her temple.

"Night Seeley."

"Good night Temperance." When he was sure she was asleep he whispered, "I love you Temperance Brennan."

"mmm. Love you too.." she mumbled.

Seeley was shocked. He was sure she had been asleep. Did she really mean it, or had she been talking in her sleep? He would have to wait till the morning. Sighing contentedly, he drifted off to sleep, his love in his arms.

The next morning Seeley was woken to a tickling feeling under his nose. He looked at the lock and saw there were fifteen minutes left until the alarms was set to go off. He spent the time watching his beautiful girlfriend as she slept. He was sure he was in love with her, and he would tell her as soon as she woke up. Just that moment, Temperance began to stir.

"Morning Temperance."

"Morning Seeley."

"Did you sleep well?"

"I actually did. I felt oddly comfortable last night."

"Speaking of last night, I told you something really important, but I'm not sure you were awake."

"What was it?"

"Do you remember?"

"No, that would be why I asked you what it was."

"Well…umm…last night…I…"

"Out with it Seeley!"

"I told you I loved you and you told me you loved me too. Did you mean it?"

Temperance paused to think for a minutes. As he sat waiting, Seeley became increasingly more nervous. Finally she spoke.

"I'm not quite sure exactly what love is, but I have these strong feelings towards you. I want to spend as much time as I can with you. When I'm with you, I feel like nothing can hurt me. If that's love then yes I love you."

"I love you too." Seeley couldn't help it, he pulled her even closer, if that was possible, and gave her a soft kiss.

Eventually the two got up and got ready for school. The last couple of weeks of school passed rather quickly. Seeley spent most nights at Temperance's house. The two grew closer and closer. Finally it was the day of graduation.

As Temperance watched Seeley walk across the stage, a lump formed in her throat. She didn't know what she would do when he left to go to college. She hoped he would come home for breaks and not forget her. At least they had the summer.

Later, the two went to the diner to celebrate his graduation. Halfway though his meal, Seeley stopped and grabbed Temperance's hand.

"I've been putting this off for as long as I could, but…"

"What is it Seeley?"

"I'm going into the army. I sip out to the training center in two days."

Temperance was silent. It was all she could do not to cry.

"Temperance. Please say something. Anything."

"That's a very honorable thing to do Seeley."

"That's it?? That's all you have to say?"

"Nothing I say can change the fact that you're leaving." "Leaving me." she quietly added.

As she knew he would, Seeley heard her last words. He reached out and gently titled her her chin up, so he could look her straight in the eye.

"Temperance, you have to know that I love you. This is something I feel I need to do to fight my demons. I wish that it wouldn't pull us so far apart, because it hurts me right here," he placed her hand over his heart. "but I can't be the man I need to be for you and for me until I do this. But it doesn't take away from the fact that I love you and that some way some how I know in my soul we're meant to be together." As Seeley finished Temperance broke down and cried.

Seeley threw down enough to cover their meals and led her to his car. He drove them to a nearby park where they sat together under the stars.

"I'm going to miss you, miss this." She said as she snuggled into the crook of his neck.

"Me too. You better write me while I'm gone."

"You know I will do my best."

He nodded and they spent the rest of the night cuddling under the stars.

The next two days, Seeley went out to see his extended family and say his final goodbyes, and pack all his bags.

As he stood in the airport searching for her face, he worried she wouldn't show. Moments later, he felt a tap on his shoulder and turned to see Temperance. Her eyes were red, but she said, "You didn't honestly think I'd let you leave without saying goodbye?" He shook his head and leaned down and kissed her. He tried to show just how he was feeling in that kiss, and judging by the look in her eyes after they broke apart, she got his message.

He smiled and said, "I love you Temperance Brennan."

Smiling through a fresh wave of tears she replied, "And I love you, Seeley Booth."

And with that, he was gone, leaving two broken hearts in his wake.


	9. Reunited Again

**AN: Here it is. The final chapter. This story has been a lot of fun and I'm glad you've enjoyed reading it. Thank you to all for the wonderful reviews. I may write an epilogue if enough people want it. And the reason why Booth and Bones are five years apart is because I tried to keep the story as accurate as possible, but in some cases I did get a little off. It kind of bothered me that a freshman and a senior were together, but hey I've seen it happen in real life. Ok sorry for going off on a tangent, here's the end.**

***twinkle***

Special Agent Seeley Booth sat behind his desk reading a memo from Deputy Director Cullen. He was to be given a promotion. Cullen was appointing him FBI Liaison to the Jeffersonian. It didn't sound like much of a promotion. And he was getting a partner too? Great. That was the last thing he needed, someone else to watch out for. Scanning further, he read that a Dr. Temperance Brennan would be his partner.

Temperance Brennan?? No, it couldn't be. But seriously, how many Temperance Brennan's could there be. It had to be her.

Booth began to drift back to his Army days. For the first year she wrote faithfully. Over the next two years, the number of letters he received began to dwindle. By the time she was a freshman in college, no letters came. He had tried to ask her what was going on and if she was ok, but she evaded his questions.

He had tried to track her down after he got out, but it was all to no avail. After a year of searching, he reluctantly gave up. He had told her they were meant to be and eventually they'd be together, but maybe he was wrong. He had tried to find love with Rebecca, Cam, and Tessa, but it couldn't measure up to the connection he once shared with Temperance. Here was his chance to be with the one and only true love of his life. He just hoped she hadn't forgotten him or moved on. Glancing at his watch, he saw he only had twelve minutes to get to the Jeffersonian. Oh well, he could just use his siren.

************************************************************************

Temperance Brennan looked up from her work to see a familiar pair of chocolate brown eyes staring at her. She blinked several times, hoping he would disappear, yet wanting to stay. She was interrupted from her musings by a cough. She looked up once again. He wasn't a figment of her imagination. He looked just as good as the last time she'd seen him, maybe even better. Finally she spoke.

"Seeley?"

"Temperance."

"Why are you here?"

"Meet the new FBI Liaison to the Jeffersonian, to work exclusively with Dr. Temperance Brennan."

"Does that make us partners?"

"I suppose it does."

There was a moment of silence then Seeley spoke.

"Why did you stop writing me?"

She looked at him blankly for a moment, until she realized what he was asking. "I was at a difficult stage in my life, Seeley. I knew that you would be gone for a long time, but my heart didn't understand. The first year I was optimistic. I wrote as often as I could and eagerly awaited your replies. The next year was harder and my heart was constantly aching, still I wrote. Yes, I did write less, but it just hurt too much. I did that for one more year, but the pain was unbearable. I detached myself like I did when my parents and Russ left so I wouldn't have to feel the pain anymore. I figured that you were wrong and we weren't meant to be. I always secretly wished for us to have a second chance, but I was just about to give up hope. And now here you are." A few stubborn tears had rolled down her cheeks as she spoke, and she brushed them away with back of her hand.

"I tried to find you for a year after I got out, but you're a very difficult woman to track down. I didn't want to lose you before and now that you're back in my life I'm not letting you get away again. We may have been young back then, but I've never had a connection with anyone like the one I shared with you. Even though it's been fifteen years since I said this, it's still true. I love you Temperance Brennan and you're the woman I'm meant to be with."

"You expect me to just fall into your arms and start a relationship with you?!'

"Well…yes."

"Seeley Booth! You can't just walk into my office after fifteen years and turn my life upsid-"

Seeley cut her off with a passionate kiss. Her eyes, at first full of surprise, fluttered shut. After five minutes they pulled apart.

"You were saying?"

She rolled her eyes and hugged him. He knew they would be okay.

"You know now that I have you, I'm letting you go."

"I'm not anyone's property Seeley…. But if I'm yours, then you're mine."

He smiled and pulled her in for another kiss.

Moments later, Angela barged into the office. "Bren I've got the recons-" She stopped when she saw her best friend making out with some guy. "Sweetie! Who is that? And whoever it is it looks pretty hot from over here."

Seeley turned and said, "Hi Angela."

For once in her life, Angela was speechless.

"We've got a lot of catching up to do. Do you mind Angela?"

She shook her head and backed out closing the door behind her. She couldn't believe Bren had gotten the man of her dreams back. Some people have all the luck.


End file.
